Selected Climbs in the Desert Southwest

* Author Cameron Burns is a stickler for clean routes and clean climbing

The desert southwest is a prime destination for some of the best rock climbing in the United States, with hundreds of documented routes. But how are climbers to find out which routes are the best routes, the jewels in this desert crown? That's where Selected Climbs in the Desert Southwest comes in. A longtime, expert desert climber, Cam Burns separates the wheat from the chaff and offers a sampling of the southwest's absolutely finest areas, spires, and walls. For climbers with limited time or for those seeking to climb the most classic desert routes, this guide is all they'll need.

The more than 130 climbing routes in western Colorado and southern Utah included are not only the most fun, the most elegant, and the most historically interesting, they are also the cleanest routes. Each detailed route description includes difficulty rating, time, approach, equipment, special considerations, and the descent.